My Queen, My Rules - Chapter 88

Chapter 88

Whether the baby would be good to Cen Sen was yet to be seen, but after that night, Ji Mingshu was visibly, if only slightly, gentler toward him.

Time ticked by at a leisurely pace for over two months. By the end of November, the capital was showing signs of entering winter.

Ji Mingshu had successfully survived the "safe period" of pregnancy—much like the cautious phases in palace dramas—and her relatives and friends were all aware of the happy news.

The attention and importance placed on her pregnancy by the elders of both the Cen and Ji families could truly live up to the teasing remark: "It's as if there’s a throne to inherit."

They had fully staffed her with Chinese and Western chefs, pastry chefs, and nutritionists. Anything she wanted to eat could be served fresh at a moment's notice. Ji Mingshu didn't hold back; she’d order "Boiled Cabbage" one day and "Wensi Tofu" the next.

The Cen family had even hired a prenatal education teacher from goodness knows where. While other families might just read stories or play CDs for prenatal education, the Cen family was incredibly over-the-top. In accordance with the teacher's requirements, they hired professionals to come to the house and play instruments live for the little embryo to help cultivate its temperament.

Fortunately, Ji Mingshu was born to enjoy such fortunes; if it had been anyone else, they might have worried that such a grand spectacle would shorten their lifespan.

In addition, Ji Mingshu received numerous gifts from elders—jewelry, luxury cars, antiques, and paintings. The only other things worth mentioning were the credit card given by Old Master Cen and the two priceless private gardens that Cen Yuanzhao had transferred to her name.

No one knew who the loose-lipped person was who spread this news, but people in their social circle sighed at Ji Mingshu’s good fortune, saying that the treatment she received for carrying the heir was simply different. Most importantly, this was just for being pregnant; what would happen when she safely delivered the child? It was a real eye-opener for the modern version of "rising in status based on one's child."

However, Ji Mingshu herself was remarkably indifferent to these things and scoffed at the saying "rising in status based on the child."

In fact, a week after confirming her pregnancy, Cen Sen had brought over a document and asked her to sign it.

She flipped through it casually and discovered that the contents were quite extraordinary. The clauses appeared impartial at first glance, but upon closer inspection, they seemed to lean heavily in favor of the Second Party—and she, Ji Mingshu, was that Second Party.

She was very confused at the time. In a family alliance, there was no such thing as shared marital property; which married couple didn't have to sign dozens of folders of prenuptial agreements?

She and Cen Sen already had an extremely detailed prenuptial agreement, so what was the point of this freshly baked supplementary contract for post-nuptial property distribution?

Before she could ask, Cen Sen explained proactively: "The prenuptial agreement is no longer valid. Post-nuptial property will be shared between husband and wife."

When Ji Mingshu heard this, she was completely stunned.

The Cen family was not just some ordinary family with a house and a car. It is no exaggeration to say that Cen Sen’s net worth was fluctuating every single second, and how much he actually had was probably difficult for even him to estimate.

The weight of those eight words, "post-nuptial property shared between husband and wife," meant that if Ji Mingshu were to harbor even the slightest intention, she could instantly change the entire landscape of Jingjian. So, was he insane?

After digesting this for about half a minute, Ji Mingshu decisively threw down her pen, turned her back on him, and refused to sign under any circumstances.

Cen Sen didn't force her, only saying calmly, "Whether you sign or not, the prenuptial agreement is already void on my end."

Upon hearing this, Ji Mingshu turned around, poked his chest, and demanded, "What are you trying to do? Are you already making plans to compensate me after you cheat? Cen 'Sen-Sen,' do you have any conscience? Oh, I know, it seems the dreams I had before were all real. I never expected that after living for twenty-some years, I’d actually become a prophet."

Cen Sen: "I just want to give you a bit more sense of security."

Ji Mingshu kept up the act of "I'm not listening, you're just a scumbag," saying, "Do you, as a big man, have to sign an agreement to give your wife a sense of security? Why are you so unreliable? With a father as unreliable as you, who knows how hard our lives as a widow and orphan will be in the future!"

She prattled on and on, getting further and further off-track, becoming more and more outrageous. "You say you're giving me equity, but what use is it to me? Can I even understand it? Hey, make yourself clear—have you set a trap to make me a legal representative or something so that if there’s economic crime in the future, you can have me stand in for you and go to jail? I might not know the law, but haven't I read enough novels?"

"Hey, you’re silent. You’ve stopped talking. Was I right? You scumbag, you’ve got everything planned out for me before my child is even born!"

Cen Sen: "..."

He could naturally see that Ji Mingshu was deliberately being unreasonable, but faced with her antics, he found himself somewhat powerless to parry. This was because he had imagined many possibilities, but he had never imagined that Ji Mingshu would be unwilling to share his wealth.

The two sat on the bed in silence for a long while. Ji Mingshu’s momentum had mostly run out. Having calmed down, she still didn't dare to accept it, but thinking of how far Cen Sen was willing to go for her, her heart couldn't stop bubbling with sweetness.

She stole a glance at Cen Sen and found he seemed to have shut himself off, so she couldn't help but poke him and whisper in defense: "I know what you mean, but that's not how you give someone a sense of security."

In truth, she really had never thought about voiding the prenuptial agreement. In the past, she had been very self-aware, feeling that in a family alliance, since she spent his money on food and drink without earning a single cent, asking to split the assets would be too shameless.

Now, she just felt it was unnecessary. She loved Cen Sen and trusted him, believing that the two of them could complete their lives together in harmony, so she no longer needed extra property or shares to add a layer of assurance for herself.

Besides, if a man really wanted to change his heart, no amount of leverage would keep him. If you forced him to stay, he’d just be an empty shell; it would be nothing more than one person forcing the issue, and everyone would be miserable.

If that day ever truly came, it would just mean she, Ji Mingshu, had been blind, and she would be willing to admit defeat and take the loss.

Ji Mingshu told Cen Sen her thoughts, and naturally, Cen Sen had his own arguments. The two went back and forth, neither able to fully convince the other. In the end, it concluded with each taking a step back: finding a new lawyer to draft the contract, and having all of Ji Mingshu’s shares handled entirely by Cen Sen.

Of course, in reality, the prenuptial agreement was already void; Ji Mingshu would still legally share all of Cen Sen’s assets.

Since she was already legally sharing all of Cen Sen’s wealth, those things the elders had given her, including the gardens transferred to her name, naturally didn't amount to much.

"Rising in status based on the child" was even more absurd. Whether it was a stinky boy or a stinky girl, if they ever upset her in the future, she guaranteed she would make them regret ever being conceived in her noble little stomach.

In the blink of an eye, the end of the year arrived, and it was another deep winter.

At this time, Ji Mingshu’s little belly was only slightly showing; it was completely invisible when she wore a loose sweater.

She dressed carefully to cover it up and accompanied Cen Sen to the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the opening of Junyi Yaji.

She thought this was just an ordinary event, not realizing that in real life, there were actually "power couple" fans who came specifically for her and Cen Sen.

After the event, fans released a set of high-definition "dog food" photos—both still and dynamic versions—which were truly pleasing to the eye and inadvertently sparked a heated discussion among netizens who loved to gossip and "eat sugar."

The fan who took the photos for them was especially excited and personally opened a post on a forum to explain.

【Ahhhhhhh! I saw the real President and the President’s wife today! Our company is a partner of Junyi and we were sent invitations. Our boss couldn't go, so he sent me instead! I was so happy I almost exploded! President Cen is too handsome and the Madam is too beautiful—it’s truly a divine level of beauty! The first 4 photos are unedited, sisters, feel this visual crit!】

Someone commented below: 【That dynamic photo, are those dozen bodyguards in black really real? Why is it like filming a TV show?】

The OP answered enthusiastically: 【There really were that many bodyguards! There was a reception after the ribbon-cutting. The two of them showed their faces and left, and then I followed them from a distance. A huge crowd of bodyguards surrounded them! It was super shocking! There were so many bodyguards that I couldn't even take a picture! But my eyes can testify that our President was holding his wife’s hand tightly! Quick, look at the blurry photo on page 6! You can barely see two little hands! Ahhhhhh, this sugar is so sweet!!!】

There was also a detective with sharp eyes: 【The President’s wife seems to be wearing flat shoes? Pregnant? And the sweater inside is also a loose style.】

This point of view instantly blew up!

—And so, without knowing anything about it, Ji Mingshu opened her Weibo DMs as usual to reply to messages, only to find a huge wave of inquiries and congratulations regarding her pregnancy.

It couldn't be hidden, and there was nothing worth hiding. After thinking about it, she posted a Weibo message to thank everyone for their concern and admitted she was indeed pregnant, while also blatantly advertising for Junyi Yaji.

This direct and eye-catching advertisement led to the "Planet B612" themed suite she had designed for Junyi Yaji being fully booked for the next three months. And that was only because the Junyi Yaji website currently only allowed bookings within three months; otherwise, there was no telling how long it would be fully booked for.

Although it was initially due to the fans’ support, as pictures of the B612 suite were released one after another, everyone discovered that this design was truly special, very creative, and perfect for taking photos.

For a time, wealthy young ladies and influencers stood guard on the official website every day, just to go to Planet B612 to take photos and check in. Thus, Junyi Yaji’s path to becoming an influencer hotel began.

At the same time, the documentary program Impressions of Old Street also successfully concluded at the end of the year.

The show was in its peak period of word-of-mouth growth, and Ji Mingshu’s Weibo follower count increased daily. Because of this, she also gained many rare development opportunities in interior design, such as being recommended to participate in high-profile design competitions and being recommended to travel to Europe and America for academic exchanges.

Cen Sen was very supportive of her using her interests as a foundation to develop her strengths, but the premise was that she couldn't be too tired. As long as she sat in front of the computer for more than an hour, someone in the house would sneakily cut off her internet. As for the week-long academic exchange abroad, Cen Sen also specifically cleared his schedule to accompany her the whole way.

Before one knew it, it was New Year’s Eve again.

This New Year’s Eve, Cen Sen and Ji Mingshu only ate lunch and dinner at the Cen and Ji families respectively, and then returned to Mingshui Mansion to see in the New Year.

Late at night, Mingshui Mansion was as bright as a beautiful crystal house, and it was snowing outside.

Ji Mingshu curled up in Cen Sen’s arms. The two watched the festive Spring Festival Gala while chatting and laughing intermittently.

Cen Sen often left people with the impression of being cold, aloof, quiet, and taciturn, but at home, alone with Ji Mingshu, he always had plenty to talk about. The two of them would snuggle together and talk about the most trivial topics, and it would all seem incredibly interesting.

About which dish at dinner hadn't been delicious enough, which dish had had too much salt, where they would travel after the baby was born, which one of their many aunts or cousins was really annoying—didn't they know that Little Ming’s grandfather lived to a hundred just because he didn't meddle in other people’s business?—and so on.

Fragmented, yet warm.

Ji Mingshu was especially prone to sleepiness after becoming pregnant. By eleven o'clock, she couldn't hold on anymore. Her eyelids drooped, though she was still muttering something under her breath.

"Cen 'Sen-Sen,' do you remember that this time last year you confessed to me?"

"I was really so happy at the time."

Cen Sen gave an "Mhm."

"Actually, I’ve been so happy this whole year."

"I hope it stays like this for the rest of our lives."

"Will you always like me?"

"No, you must always like me."

Her voice grew quieter and quieter. In the end, she even forced herself to add a tone of command. Hearing Cen Sen say "Mhm" again, she turned over like a lazy little kitten and fell asleep contentedly in his arms.

Cen Sen kept his eyes lowered, his gaze toward her inexplicably gentle.

He wasn't a person who expressed emotions very openly; many things he would only quietly respond to in his heart—

Actually, I have been very happy this year too.

I also hope it stays like this for the rest of our lives.

I will always like you, and only like you.

At the stroke of midnight, the New Year’s fireworks illuminated the entire sky, making it as dazzling and bright as daylight.

Ji Mingshu was woken up by the noise. Her brows were furrowed, but in her drowsiness, she realized it was midnight. Subconsciously, she reached up to wrap her arms around Cen Sen’s neck, leaned closer, and whispered in his ear: "Happy New Year, hmm… I love you."

Cen Sen dropped a kiss by her ear, his voice deep and husky. "Happy New Year, I love you too."

—How fortunate I am, in this life, to be your one and only subject.